Produce Challenge: Parsnip

I’ve eaten rutabagas, turnips and beets, but I can’t recall a time that I’ve ever eaten parsnips. So,for today’s Produce Challenge my goal was to find an easy-to-follow recipe that would leave little room for error during preparation. I settled on a roasted fruit and veggie mash!

Recipe:

Roasted Cauliflower Parsnip Apple Mash – From SoFab Food

Prep Time: 10 minutes     Cook Time: 50 minutes      Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 4 large parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
• 2 medium tart apples, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 tbsp oil (olive oil, avocado oil, and canola oil all work)
• 1/2-3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp vegan butter or regular dairy butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp green onion, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss cauliflower, parsnips, and apples with two tablespoons of oil.
2. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 35-45 minutes, until lightly charred & parsnips are able to be pierced easily.
3. Immediately transfer to a high powered blender. Add garlic, almond milk, butter, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until smooth.
4. For a thinner mash, add the additional 1/4 cup almond milk.

Prep Time: Accurate

Although an hour seemed a little excessive to me for a side dish, it was nice to have time to prepare other aspects of the meal. It was easy to pop the baking sheet into the oven, set the timer and then go about doing other things.

For this recipe, I chose to use Golden Delicious apples. Their own flavor is very mild, and they tend to take on the flavor of what it is they are being cooked with; I didn’t want the taste of apples to be too overbearing.

What I found to be most interesting about parsnips is that they are much sweeter than I expected. I was anticipating more of a potato flavor, but was pleasantly surprised. For my main course, I paired the mash with a pan-fried pork chop; it was a sweet and savory combination. The next time I make it though, I will likely add a sprinkle of cinnamon and a sprinkle of nutmeg for a little something extra.